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Heavy Duty

in the field of bodybuilding; however, we remind you that these principles can also be used for purposes other than bodybuilding, for example to insert hypertrophy cycles in pure or explosive strength sports.

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Heavy Duty is considered a purely masculine method, but the routine can also be carried out by girls, if they are aware of having to tolerate a very high level of intensity. Due to this characteristic, it requires some attention in assessing the state of the cardiovascular system - it is contraindicated in hypertension, heart disease, etc. Individuals with other pathologies must first assess their suitability to perform Heavy Duty workouts with their doctor and coach.

which optimizes the anabolic stimulus and minimizes catabolism: in short, pure hypertrophy. A more recent and similar system is BIIO (Short, Intense, Infrequent, Organized), an in-depth study, an elaboration, an evolution of Heavy Duty.

The now deceased Mentzer, former Mr. Universe and man with a brilliant mind, revolutionized the training methods hitherto in vogue. He was the first author of Body building texts where the cards have very few series and rare sessions (up to only one once a week).

Today it is known that maximum hypertrophy is obtained with short, intense and not too frequent workouts. Increasing the volume and / or increasing the frequency will never compensate for any deficit in intensity when hypertrophy is the goal. If you are unable to develop high voltages in one series, this is not resolved by making a second or third one. Doing so simply prolongs the effort, moving "horizontally" and not "vertically", working on resistance and not on "hypertrophy.

Mentzer understood that to obtain maximum muscle development, especially for a natural, a very intense stimulus is necessary, with failure, but short and infrequent, such as to minimize muscle catabolism (the worst enemy). Same goes for BIIO. However, as we will see, Mentzer's "Heavy Duty" is a simple, clear method, which develops in a few pages. BIIO takes up these concepts and develops them by researching the physiological and evolutionary motivations that lead to these training theories, with greater prolixity. .

and to the body to recover and overcompensate. Since it is necessary to develop strong tensions, it is clear that Heavy Duty is not aimed at beginners. It is the prerogative of a new weightlifter to first learn the correct movements, the coordination and slowly get used to the execution of the repetitions, gradually developing greater intensity. We cannot talk about the Mentzer method before at least one year of practice. However, the personal trainer is asked to evaluate the progress of the student and his / her ability to enter the heart of hypertrophic training.

So, let's talk about intensity and correct execution of the exercise. The repetitions (rep) must be performed always keeping the muscle in tension. Therefore, between one and the other, there must be no dead points, points of rest. One repetition includes: concentric phase of muscle shortening, to be performed with flawless technique in 1-2 seconds; isometric phase in maximum shortening of the muscle (hold and contract for a second); negative eccentric phase of muscle lengthening, to be performed in 3-4 seconds. Then you have to move on to the next repetition without dead rest times. The muscle between one repetition and the next and within the repetition itself must always remain under tension. The range of movement must be as wide as possible, but must not reach corners / dead points. The range must always be such as to always leave the fibers in tension, albeit minimal at the extreme.

A nod to breathing: inspiration in the eccentric phase, expiration in the concentric phase, total expiration and contraction in the isometric peak. Now, we have learned how each repetition should be performed and how it should fit within the series.

Let's talk now about the series (set). According to Mentzer, this must be composed of 6-8 reps, sufficient to stimulate all the components of the muscle. Recall that, for other authors, the muscle should be stimulated alternately with medium-low (6-8) and medium-high (12-) reps. 15) For Hatfield every two to three sessions per muscle group at 6-8 repetitions, one session at 12-15 should be performed.

Performing 6-8 reps means that around the sixth or eighth repetition (performed without ever losing tension, with controlled movement and with the times mentioned above) you will have to reach at least the positive failure. For Heavy Duty this is essential. It will also be necessary to emphasize this failure by trying to apply methods such as pre-fatigue, burns, forced.

The recovery times between the sets, except obviously for the supersets, will be 3-5 ", necessary to recover the short-term oxygen debt.

Let's move on to consider the training frequency. Between one workout and the next there must be at least 2 days of rest, even if you train different muscle groups. These recovery days will increase once stalled is reached, up to 3-4 days of recovery between one training session and the next. In extreme cases, you can get up to 6 days of rest between one workout and the next. This is especially true if you have a busy working life.

According to Mentzer, there are no limits to muscle growth. Starting with a two-day rest interval workout will visibly increase strength and volume. Once the plateau has been reached, it is advisable to increase the recovery days by one more. There will be more progress. Once stalled again, the rest days can be further increased and, instead of the pre-fatigue superset, only the multi-joint series can be performed. If by doing so a decrease is obtained, it means that the physiological maximum that can be expressed with this system is close.

(isometric failure) and you go down completely closing the series.

Example of muscle failure

Let me give an easy example. We take the lateral openings (crucifix from an orthostatic position) for the intermediate multi-pointed bundles of the deltoid: an exercise that everyone is familiar with. Seen from the frontal plane, the movement starts from 0 ° (arm adducted to the body) and reaches 90 ° (arm perpendicular to the torso). So you go positive from 0 ° to 90 ° and negative from 90 ° to 0 ° as many times as there are repetitions of the series. If on the seventh repetition you reach the 90 ° position you will realize that you will not be able to perform another full excursion, go down only about 20 °, then start again in the positive. Do it a couple of times until isometric failure. instead you can count on the presence of a spotter then you can take advantage of the forced repetitions, also in this case in number of one or two. When you have reached the positive yield the partner will help you to complete another one or two complete repetitions. Attention however: help not it means that he has to do it with his efforts, helping means that he will very lightly accompany you to finish the executions and will intervene only when you have actually given in, encouraging you to get away with your willpower alone.

Now let's talk about another technique for increasing the intensity. A technique that I find very profitable and very present in Heavy Duty: pre-fatigue.

Pre-Fatigue in Heavy Duty

This technique consists in performing an isolation set concerning a main muscle in superseries with a multiarticular series where, in addition to the muscle just mentioned, the auxiliaries also intervene.

The aim is to literally exhaust the affected muscle in a reduced volume. For example: crosses on bench + pushes on bench with barbell (pectorals), legs extension + legs press (quadriceps), side openings + slow back with dumbbells (deltoids), pullover or pulldown + pull-ups (lats).

In fact, when we perform a multiarticular exercise alone, the weakest link in the chain is the one that yields first. triceps: In pull-ups, the bicep or forearm gives way before the lats.

By performing a pre-fatigue we will make in the multiarticular series what was the main muscle becomes the weak link in the chain, forcing it to give completely. So, for example, perform a series of high intensity legs extensions, for about 8 rep. Come to failure but jump on the legs press and perform another eight terrible repetitions + two forced ones (always with a light and slow aid of the spotter who will intervene only when he is absolutely certain that you have really given in and are not pretending).

Now, it is clear that there are other techniques to increase the intensity of a series, but I think this is the most usable in Heavy Duty.

on the equipment of the second exercise, so as not to have to waste time. The load of the second exercise will be about 40% less than when you do it alone, due to pre-fatigue. Adjust accordingly and keep the usual training diary for subsequent sessions.

Card 1, divided into A-B-C

Rest time between sets: 3-5 "(except for super sets where clearly there are no rest times).

Rest time between one training session and the other: two days, to increase according to the directives expressed above.

The training sequence is ABCB, i.e. after a workout A follows the B and after a workout C follows the B and then starts over.

Training A

Short general and specific warm-up

Crosses on flat bench 1 x6 + 2 forced (or burns if you are alone) in supersets with
Inclined bench press 1x8 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Pullover with 1x8 + 2 barbell forced in supersets with
Horizontal pulley traction semi-pronged hands close grip (sagittal extension of the humeri) 1x8 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Straight leg deadlift with 1x8 shrug + 2 half repetitions to burn

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Short cool-down

Workout B

Short general and specific warm-up

Legs Extension 1x6 + 2 forced (or always burns if you are alone) in superseries with
Squat (or 45 ° press) 1x8 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Legs Curl 1x8 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Calf raise sitting (or standing or alternating between one session and the other) 1 x 12 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Reverse Crunch 1 x max reps (optional exercise)

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Cooling down

Training C

Short general and specific warm-up

Side openings (crucifix) 1x6 + 2 forced in superseries with
Pushes over the nape with forced 1x8 + 2 dumbbells

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Pushes to the parallels, tight grip, erect torso (for triceps) 1x8 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Vertical pulley traction hands in supination wide grip 1x8 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Bench crunch with pre-extension 1 x max reps

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Short cool-down

Note: I have already written about the execution of the crunch in my previous articles. The progression over time - in terms of frequency - of this protocol is carried out in the previous chapter INSIDE THE METHOD.

Card 2, divided into A-B

This card is suitable for those who have very long recovery and overcompensation times and therefore find themselves having to reduce the volume and frequency to a minimum (up to one workout every six days of rest, we said).

Training A

Short general and specific warm-up

Bench press on inclined bench 1x8 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Vertical pulley traction hands in supination wide grip 1x8 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Straight leg deadlift with 1x8 shrug + 2 half repetitions to burn

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Bench crunch with pre-extension 1 x max reps

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Short cool-down

Workout B

Short general and specific warm-up

Squat (or 45 ° press) 1x10 + 2 burns

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Legs Curl 1x8 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Calf raise sitting (or standing or alternating between one session and the other) 1x12 + 2 forced

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Reverse Crunch 1 x max reps

Rest about 5 "with rhythmic and wide breathing

Cooling down

Therefore, note that the volume and the frequency are really reduced to the bone. For both the cards indicated, it can be foreseen to exceptionally raise the repetitions of the sets to 12-15 every three workouts (connecting me to the previous speech relating to Hatfield). Personally however, empirical evidence seems to support Mentzer.

Card 2, divided into A-B (great for girls)

Two workouts a week, one A and one B. At the discretion of the personal trainer, the possible inclusion of an aerobics session (or equivalent) as training C. I am however convinced that if the weightlifter will have sufficient desire for will, the results will be exorbitant .